“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
Inner strength can be interpreted in many ways, but regardless of how we view it, it is directly correlated with our mental health. It seems that as soon as we begin to feel things getting back to normal during this pandemic, it takes yet another turn, and now we’re experiencing déjà vu. The truth of the matter is that we’re living in uncertain times. Parents are always on alert, reading the news to determine if their children’s school will close. Hospitals are back to recreating COVID units on the same floors they just finished disinfecting. Employers are sending out emails forewarning their teams on the “what ifs” if the government once again requires another lockdown. People are becoming afraid all over again and are in constant worry for the elderly in their families.
“When will this be over?” We all wonder.
Before we continue, let’s do a questionnaire to see if this article is right for you.
Please answer the following questions:
Do you feel burnt out? Exhausted? Mentally drained?
Are you always living in anxiousness and anxiety this year?
Are you reading the news and social media and feel negativity afterward?
Are you afraid for yourself and your family?
Are you located in a state/country experiencing a second wave of COVID-19?
If you’ve answered yes to more than one of the questions above, you’ve been affected.
It’s time to discuss your inner strength and how you can exercise it.
Exercising your inner strength doesn’t require you to physically go to the gym. Your internal strength comes from within, and learning how to develop and reinforce your inner strength will change your life from what it has been these last few months or years. Our inner strength has always been fundamental, but now more than ever before. As the pandemic continues to affect our lives and pick at our weaknesses, it is time to regain our power so we can push through these dark times.
1. When we feel more empowered, our perspective changes.
Having inner strength will allow you to become the best version of yourself.
A person with inner strength:
Truly values and appreciates oneself
Is dynamic and can adapt to any situation without fear and anxiousness
Asks for help without worry
Open about how they feel and open to those around them
Understands the importance of helping others and not giving up
Sets boundaries because they respect themselves
2. Daily affirmations might sound outrageous, but so does talking yourself down every day!
To build on your inner strength, you need to realize that you are worth it. Your confidence plays a critical factor in aligning you with your personal and life goals. When you feel moments of weakness, get up, look at the mirror, and say out loud, “I am worth it. I am important. I will overcome this. I will live a better life. I will do what’s right. I am confident, and I love and trust myself.”
It is unfair to yourself to speak so miserably about you. People say that we are our biggest critiques, but it doesn’t have to be that way. What if, instead, you were your biggest supporter? Consistent positive self-talk will make a real difference in your day and your life if you continue to do so. You CAN replace the negative thoughts in your mind, even amid a global pandemic. Though so many things are at stake, you will know that you can overcome it all if you have inner strength. You can and will find solutions. You know that you will do whatever it takes.
3. Do yourself a favor, ask for help!
The majority of the time, it’s not that people don’t want to help you; it’s that you’re scared of opening up. You’re afraid of being judged, of telling your truth or being heard. You’ve silenced yourself so many times for so long that you made yourself believe that this is the best tactic for you. But has it really been helping? No. Probably, not at all. That little feeling of relief that you get from telling others that you’re okay and handling it is only temporary. Without proper help, without listening to other perspectives, without being honest with yourself to others, the only advice you’ll receive is the one coming from you- the same person who questions you. You can talk to friends, you can speak to a therapist, you can talk to your parents, your loved ones, your kids, even a stranger. A second opinion or perspective can make all the difference. I promise you, unloading that baggage off your shoulders won’t hurt someone else, and it will undoubtedly help you and make a difference.
4. Be flexible. Life will always change.
We have all experienced life’s unpredictability. The only thing in life that is certain is how you feel about yourself. During COVID-19, it’s ok that you’re feeling unsafe, scared, worried- there’s a lot at stake. Who would have ever imagined that the year 2020 would’ve brought us what it did? No one. The point is, what you’re feeling is absolutely fine. You are human.
Nonetheless, you have to be flexible with life. It won’t run on your schedule, and it won’t do what you want it to do. Spend all the time you need to recover your mental health; just make sure to not let negative thoughts overwhelm you.
Give yourself a moment to break down if you need, feel whatever you feel. Then, regain your power, and take a step back to look at your overall situation. You are alive. You are healthy. You are capable. You’ve experienced hardships before and overcame them. That’s your reality and your truth. Do what you have to do to stay safe and to stay happy. Though we’re limited on the outlets that we can use due to curfews and closures, there are still other avenues where you can work on your inner strength. Whether it’s a daily walk in the park, cooking, drawing, writing, knitting, caring for your child and playing with them, or watching television, save the moment in your day to do what makes you happy. Make it a priority, because it indeed is.
5. Take back control of the good in you.
That’s right. It’s time to start building on your good things and not dwelling on your bad. Love yourself so much that it’ll hurt if you dared to speak badly about yourself. When you build on your inner strength, that is how you’ll feel. You will change how you treat those around you. You will become a light in not only your life, but everyone’s that you know. People need your light. But first, you need to find it and store it somewhere safe.
Finding your inner strength solely depends on you. If you want to change yourself and your life, this is the significant step that you will have to take. You don’t have to do it all on your own. Your loved ones and professionals are always a call, text, or email away. During these times, that’s one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Stop stopping yourself from getting better, and instead, start your daily affirmations, start catching yourself when you begin to think negatively, replace those thoughts, and realize that you’ve already come so far. There is no place to quit now. It’s only time to start. No matter what our world will throw at us, it’s how we handle these situations that create the full experience. You are capable.
If by any chance you feel that the stress of the current situation is getting to you, consider reaching out to us, we’re providing teletherapy and online counseling and we are ready to start helping you.